What can I use instead of Anchovies?

Fish sauce: 1/2 tsp fish sauce per fillet. Worcestershire sauce: 1 tsp.

What changes when you substitute Anchovies?

Salty — ease other salt. Sweeter, thinner.

Substitute for Anchovies

What it does in a recipe: Melted-umami fish: Caesar dressing, puttenesca, and Bolognese depth.

3 substitutes, ranked by what's already in your pantry. Amounts are dataset values — US and metric where a ratio exists.

Fish sauce

per 2 anchovy fillets

US1/2 tsp fish sauce per fillet

Metric3 ml fish sauce

CommonBaking-safe ✓Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeGluten-freeNut-freePeanut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-freeContains fish

Same fermented umami in liquid form.

What changes: Salty — ease other salt

Worcestershire sauce

per 2 anchovy fillets (Caesar, dressings)

US1 tsp

Metric5 ml

CommonBaking-safe ✓Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freePeanut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-freeContains fish

Anchovy is Worcestershire's backbone.

What changes: Sweeter, thinner

Soy sauce + crumbled nori (vegetarian)

per 2 anchovy fillets

US1/2 tsp soy sauce + 1/4 tsp crumbled nori

Metric3 ml soy sauce + 1/2 g crumbled nori

SpecialtyBaking-safe ✓Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeFish-freeNut-freePeanut-freeShellfish-freeVeganContains glutenContains soy

Seaweed carries the ocean umami.

What changes: Vegetarian; less fishy

Related swaps

Common questions

What can I use instead of Anchovies?: Fish sauce: 1/2 tsp fish sauce per fillet. Worcestershire sauce: 1 tsp.
What is the exact ratio to substitute Anchovies?: Fish sauce (per 2 anchovy fillets) — US: 1/2 tsp fish sauce per fillet. Metric: 3 ml fish sauce.
What changes when you substitute Anchovies?: Salty — ease other salt. Sweeter, thinner.

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